Scientific Family
Liliaceae
Synonyms
Calochortus nuttallii var. aureus
Other common names
mariposa lily
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
To 20 inches
Riparian
No
Grows from an onion-like bulb; slender stems are usually unbranched and have 2 to 4 narrow leaves, 7 to 10 inches long and 1 to 4 flowers.
Erect stems, hairs near petal glands not thickened at their tips; circular elongate gland surrounded by the yellowish, often forked hairs, blunt-tipped anthers, potential of bulblets in the lower leaf axils. Yellow flowered plants are var. aureus.
Habitat
Dry mesas, open pine forests and hillsides.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Low elevation
4500
High elevation
8000
Flower Characteristics
1 to 4 tulip-like flowers with reddish-brown or purple bands above the petal bases; borne atop stems; flowers up to 2 inches wide have 3 white to lavender (light purple) petals; dense, slender hairs near the base of petals.
Flower color
White to light purple
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
May
Last bloom month
July
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Narrow, grasslike; margins rolled upward, cross-section U shaped; to 4 inches long. Basal leaves generally do not persist at the time of flowering, while stem leaves do persist.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Grayish-green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Other
Leaves clasp
Yes
Leaf hairs
None
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruit is a 3-angled capsule with a pointed tip, which splits open along partitions; numerous seeds inside.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Green turning to brown
Flattened.